Structured Dialogue Method (SDM) Project

Chamberlain Forum have been funded by EVCWM to pilot and develop the use of Structured Dialogue Method as a tool for enabling stories of practice to inform the development and evaluation of policy relating to mainstream services.

Structured Dialogue Method (SDM) is an approach to storytelling circles designed to produce robust evidence (as opposed to ‘anecdotes’) which can be used in influencing policy.

The method was developed in Canada and was applied mainly in public heath. In this country it has been used by police and drugs action teams as a way of enabling the experience of service users and front line workers to be fed in to policy making.
The method was refined by People for Action – who used it to help housing associations listen to the experience of their tenants.

Most recently, Chamberlain Forum tested the technique with groups of residents and neighbourhood workers in different parts of Birmingham as part of the Resident University programme.

Chamberlain Forum propose to pilot SDM in three different service locations across the region during the next 18 months:
- to evaluate the approach in terms of its potential impact on NI4 and on public services involved in LAAs
- to draw together a group of professionals with an interest in policy development and evaluation
- to present findings and recommendations for the future use of SDM in policy evaluation and development.

In year 1 – 08/09 the project will:
• Bring together a professional reference group for the project
• Organise a meeting of the group in February 09
• Establish selection criteria for pilot projects
• Research and identify a range of potential pilot sites
• Agree pilots for 09/10
• Establish an evaluation framework

If you would like to know more, or become involved in any way, please contact Hannah at the Chamberlain Forum on 07812 732 862 or email hannah@chamberlainforum.org